3 Mothers Of Pickpockets Operating In Jambi Market Arrested

The mothers of pickpockets who were arrested by the police acted in traditional markets in Jambi City (ANTARA/Nanang Mairiadi)

JAKARTA - The East Jambi Sector Police (Polsek) has arrested a gang of pickpockets carried out by three mothers who often act in traditional markets and shopping centers in Jambi City.

"The Criminal Investigation Team arrested the three groups of women from South Sumatra Province who carried out the last pickpocket action before being secured at the Talang Banjar traditional market, Jambi City and they admitted that they had repeatedly acted there," said East Jambi Police Chief, AKP Edi Mardi Siswoyo, in Jambi, Wednesday, confiscated by Antara.

The three pickpockets who have now been detained at the Sector Police, namely Asmawati, Ita and Rusdiana, where they admitted their modus operandi when they acted to pretend to buy onions at one of the shops in the Talang Banjar market, targeting potential victims, were also buying the onions.

"The three of them used a different color long hijab and their confession was used to cover up the action in pickpocketing the victim's money," said AKP Edi Mardi.

In carrying out their actions, the third has different roles, according to the Head of the Ita Police, acting as an intermediary, Diana as the one who observed and covered up Wati's actions serving as an executor or pickpocket.

So the three of them did it in the afternoon, pretending to buy onions, after being able to take their wallets and then come out together. Starting from that action, the victim who later realized his wallet and the contents of the money were lost when he was about to pay money to traders.

This case can be revealed after seeing CCTV footage, it is clear that the actions of the three of them took the victim's wallet and after a few days later the three returned to the shop to take action again and at that time the three were secured and then handed over to the police.

"One of the victims suffered a loss of Rp. 3.5 million and currently the third case of the mother's pickpocket is now being handled by the police and according to police information, the three are recidivist and have family ties, namely two older siblings and the other is neighbors," said AKP Edi Mardi.

For their actions, the three perpetrators are threatened with violating Article 363 with a maximum threat of seven years in prison and the police are still developing their case to look for other crime scenes.